The Data Set Application displays all data set characteristics including, for SMS-managed data sets, the classes assigned to the data set. Users can also view the most recent date that the data set has been backed up by DFSMShsm, or the number of stripes that the system has used to allocate the data set for any striped data sets. By using the Data Class, Storage Class, and Management Class applications, users can interactively review the attributes that you are using to manage their data sets. These online applications can supplement your own user's guide.

Data set lists can be generated by using data set filters. ISMF uses the same filter conventions that are standard throughout DFSMS. Users can also filter by data set characteristics. DFSMShsm and DFSMSdss commands can be used as ISMF line operators in the Data Set Application to perform simple storage management functions that supplement the automatic functions provided by DFSMS. For example, DFSMSdss's COPY command might be useful. Users can select COPY options on ISMF panels that result in a fully-developed batch job, which can be submitted and run in the background. Using ISMF, you do not need to know DFSMSdss syntax. Other useful commands are DFSMShsm's RECALL or RECOVER.

If you encourage users to understand and use these commands to do simple recovery actions, your storage administration tasks are greatly simplified.